OU Gibbs College is pleased to announce that Jonathan Tate is invited to give a public lecture in the upcoming fall semester. Jonathan Tate is the founder and principal of OJT, an award-winning architecture firm based in New Orleans. OJT was established in 2011 as a creative, expansive, and exploratory practice with a desire to contribute to contemporary discourse.
For his lecture, Tate will discuss his firm’s work and related topical issues that are currently impacting the built environment. The lecture will take place on Wednesday, September 13 at 4 p.m., location TBD.
OJT project "Zimple." Photo by William Crocker.
Tate’s firm has a unique setup that is embedded in both practice and research. His work embraces ideas of community engagement and serving using design to address the challenges of affordable housing and urbanism. Tate’s practice focuses on reworking normative, overlooked, and familiar project types by integrating new designs with situational conditions. Every project is designed to belong and contribute to its original location while communicating with a lineage of associative built work.
OJT project "St. Thomas at 9th." Photo by William Crocker.
His firm offers architecture and urban design services as well as planning, interiors, graphic design, development consulting, historic preservation, and affordable housing activities. Most of his projects are focused in New Orleans, but his firm has completed several others across the U.S. and internationally. His firm’s clients include CDCs, NDCs, non-profits, institutions, governments, private developers, and individuals. Along with his work at OJT, Tate has also served as a visiting and adjunct professor at the Tulane School of Architecture.
For more information, contact Amy Leveno (amyleveno@ou.edu).
A team of Construction Science and Architecture students from the Gibbs College of Architecture made their mark on the national stage this week, earning third place out of 37 universities competing at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Competition, held during the International Builders' Show in Orlando, February 16-18, 2026.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated Gary Armbruster, FAIA, ALEP to its prestigious College of Fellows—AIA’s highest membership honor—for his exceptional work and sustained contributions to architecture and society. Fellowship recognizes architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant impact at a national level. Members elevated to this distinction carry the FAIA designation after their name.
Students from the Spring 2026 Graduate 4 Architecture Design Studio, led by Professor Amy Leveno, exhibited their work at the School of Visual Arts. The exhibition, titled Reimagining the OU School of Visual Arts, featured drawings, models, and animations developed throughout the semester's studio project. The show was hosted in The Spotlight, a creative gallery space located on the first floor of the Fred Jones Art Center, and ran from January 20–30, 2026.
